System for Determining Type of Property Inspection Based on Captured Images

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are disclosed for electronically detecting and determining a type of inspection to recommend for a property and/or one or more characteristics of the property using input from multiple computing devices, such as image capturing devices, mobile devices, external data sources, internal data sources, and/or other data sources. A computing device may receive, via a communication interface, a plurality of images of a property. The computing device may determine, based on the plurality of images of the property, a score indicative of a level of care of the property. The computing device may determine, based on the plurality of images of the property, an estimate of a value of the property. Based on the determined score indicative of the level of care of the property and the determined estimate of the value of the property, the computing device may determine a recommendation for a type of inspection to perform on the property. The computing device may send, via the communication interface, the recommendation for the type of inspection for display on a display of a user device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/341,833 filed Jun. 8, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/071,365 filed Mar. 16, 2016. Each of theseapplications is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the disclosure generally relate to electronically detectingand determining a type of inspection to recommend for a property and/orone or more characteristics of the property using input from multiplecomputing devices, such as image capturing devices, mobile devices,external data sources, internal data sources, and/or other data sources.

BACKGROUND

Walk-through inspections of property, such as houses and land, areprevalent in the real estate industry. For example, an insuranceprovider may inspect property to determine whether to insure theproperty, an appropriate level of coverage, or the like. On the otherhand, some insurance providers may forego the inspection all togetherand simply insure the property.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosure. The summary is not anextensive overview of the disclosure. It is neither intended to identifykey or critical elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope ofthe disclosure. The following summary merely presents some concepts ofthe disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the descriptionbelow.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a system for electronicallydetecting and determining a type of inspection to recommend for aproperty and/or one or more characteristics of the property. The systemmay have a first computing device comprising a camera configured tocapture images, a transmitter configured to transmit images captured bythe camera, a first processor, and first memory. The first memory maystore computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the firstprocessor, cause the first processor of the first computing device tocapture, using the camera of the first computing device, a plurality ofimages of a property. The transmitter of the first computing device maybe used to transmit the plurality of images of the property to a secondcomputing device. The second computing device may comprise acommunication interface, a second processor, and second memory. Thesecond memory may store computer-executable instructions that, whenexecuted by the second processor, cause the second processor of thesecond computing device to receive, via the communication interface, theplurality of images of the property transmitted by the first computingdevice. Based on the plurality of images of the property, the secondcomputing device may determine a score indicative of a level of care ofthe property. The second computing device may also determine, based onthe plurality of images of the property, an estimate of a value of theproperty. Based on the determined score indicative of the level of careof the property and the determined estimate of the value of theproperty, the second computing device may determine a recommendation fora type of inspection to perform on the property. The second computingdevice may send, via the communication interface, the recommendation forthe type of inspection for display on a display.

In some aspects, the first computing device may comprise the display,and the second memory may store additional computer-executableinstructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause thesecond processor of the second computing device to generate a userinterface indicating the recommendation for the type of inspection.Sending the recommendation may comprise sending the user interfaceindicating the recommendation for the type of inspection for display onthe display of the first computing device.

Sending the recommendation for the type of inspection may be performedin response to a determination that the first computing device is at alocation of the property. In some aspects, the first computing devicemay comprise an automated image capturing device, and the second memorymay store additional computer-executable instructions that, whenexecuted by the second processor, causes the second processor of thesecond computing device to determine that the automated image capturingdevice is at a location of the property. In response to determining thatthe automated image capturing device is at a location of the property,the second computing device may transmit an instruction to the automatedimage capturing device to capture one or more additional images of theproperty.

In some aspects, the plurality of images of the property may comprise atleast one image of a roof of a structure on the property and at leastone image of an exterior wall of the structure. Determining the estimateof a value of the property may comprise determining at least onedimension of the roof based on the at least one image of the roof,determining, based on the at least one dimension of the roof and theimage of the exterior wall, an estimate of a total area of an interiorof the structure, and determining the estimate of the value of theproperty based on the estimate of the total area of the interior of thestructure.

In some aspects, determining the score indicative of a level of care ofthe property comprises may comprise determining a level of care of oneor more structures of the property and a level of care of one or morefeatures of the property surrounding the structures. The type ofinspection to perform on the property may comprise an inspection of anexterior of a structure of the property and an interior of thestructure, or an inspection of the exterior of the structure of theproperty and not the interior of the structure.

Systems, non-transitory computer readable media, and/or methodsdescribed herein may comprise receiving, via a communication interfaceof a computing device, a plurality of images of a property. Thecomputing device may determine, based on the plurality of images of theproperty, a score indicative of a level of care of the property. Thecomputing device may determine, based on the plurality of images of theproperty, an estimate of a value of the property. Based on thedetermined score indicative of the level of care of the property and thedetermined estimate of the value of the property, the computing devicemay determine a recommendation for a type of inspection to perform onthe property. The computing device may send, via the communicationinterface of the computing device, the recommendation for the type ofinspection for display on a display of a user device.

In some aspects, receiving the plurality of images of the property maycomprise receiving the plurality of images of the property from the userdevice. The method may further comprise generating a user interfaceindicating the recommendation for the type of inspection. Sending therecommendation may comprise sending the user interface indicating therecommendation for the type of inspection for display on the display ofthe user device.

In some aspects, receiving the plurality of images of the property maycomprise receiving the plurality of images of the property from the userdevice, and sending the recommendation for the type of inspection isperformed in response to a determination that the user device is at alocation of the property. Receiving the plurality of images of theproperty may comprise receiving the plurality of images of the propertyfrom an automated image capturing device. The method may furthercomprise determining, by the computing device, that the automated imagecapturing device is at a location of the property. In response todetermining that the automated image capturing device is at a locationof the property, an instruction may be transmitted to the automatedimage capturing device to capture one or more additional images of theproperty.

The plurality of images of the property comprises at least one image ofa roof of a structure on the property and at least one image of anexterior wall of the structure. Determining the estimate of a value ofthe property may comprise determining, by the computing device, at leastone dimension of the roof based on the at least one image of the roof,determining, by the computing device and based on the at least onedimension of the roof and the image of the exterior wall, an estimate ofa total area of an interior of the structure, and determining, by thecomputing device, the estimate of the value of the property based on theestimate of the total area of the interior of the structure.

In some aspects, determining the score indicative of a level of care ofthe property may comprise determining a level of care of one or morestructures of the property and a level of care of one or more featuresof the property surrounding the structures. The type of inspection toperform on the property may comprise an inspection of an exterior of astructure of the property and an interior of the structure, or aninspection of the exterior of the structure of the property and not theinterior of the structure.

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent fromthe additional description provided herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention and theadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdescription in consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which likereference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating various example components of a systemfor determining a type of property inspection and/or property valuebased on captured images according to one or more aspects of thedisclosure.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method of determining atype of property inspection and/or property value based on capturedimages according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating another example method ofdetermining a type of property inspection and/or property value based oncaptured images according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a network environment and computing systems that maybe used to implement aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of the various embodiments, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and inwhich is shown by way of illustration, various embodiments of thedisclosure that may be practiced. It is to be understood that otherembodiments may be utilized.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art upon reading thefollowing disclosure, various aspects described herein may be embodiedas a method, a computer system, or a computer program product. Aspectsmay take the form of a computing device configured to perform specifiedactions. Furthermore, such aspects may take the form of a computerprogram product stored by one or more computer-readable storage mediahaving computer-readable program code, or instructions, embodied in oron the storage media. Any suitable computer readable storage media maybe utilized, including hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices,magnetic storage devices, and/or any combination thereof. In addition,various signals representing data or events as described herein may betransferred between a source and a destination in the form ofelectromagnetic waves traveling through signal-conducting media such asmetal wires, optical fibers, and/or wireless transmission media (e.g.,air and/or space).

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating various example components of a system100 for determining a type of property inspection and/or property valuebased on captured images according to one or more aspects of thedisclosure. The property inspection system 100 may include one or moreproperties 110 (e.g., houses, land, apartments, condominiums, or anyother type of property that can be insured), one or more image capturedevices 120, one or more mobile devices 130 (e.g., a smartphone, atablet, and the like), one or more external data source(s) 140, aproperty inspection server 150, a property characteristic determinationserver 170, and additional related components. Each component of theproperty inspection system 100 may include a computing device (orsystem) having some or all of the following structural components.

For example, the property inspection computer or computing device 151may have a processor for controlling overall operation of the computingdevice 151 and its associated components, including RAM, ROM,input/output module, and memory. The computing device 151, along withone or more additional devices (e.g., property characteristicdetermination computing device 171), may correspond to any of multiplesystems or devices, such as property inspection computing devices orsystems, configured as described herein for receiving data associatedwith the property (e.g., image data, claims data, etc.), determining thetype of inspection to perform on the property and/or the property value,and sending various instructions based on the determination. Image datacan include image data collected from image capture devices 120, mobiledevices (e.g., mobile device 130), external data sources 140, orinternal data sources 152 or 172.

The property inspection computer 151 may include an Input/Output (I/O)module having a microphone, keypad, touch screen, and/or stylus throughwhich a user of the computing device 151 may provide input, and may alsoinclude one or more of a speaker for providing audio input/output and avideo display device for providing textual, audiovisual and/or graphicaloutput. Software may be stored within the memory of the propertyinspection computer and/or other storage to provide instructions to itsprocessor for enabling device 151 to perform various functions. Forexample, the computing device's memory may store software used by thedevice 151, such as an operating system, application programs, and anassociated internal or external database 151. The memory unit mayinclude one or more of volatile and/or non-volatile computer memory tostore computer-executable instructions, data, and/or other information.The processor of the computer 151 and its associated components mayallow the property inspection computer 151 to execute a series ofcomputer-readable instructions to receive data associated with theproperty (e.g., image data, claims data, etc.), determine the type ofinspection to perform on the property and/or the value of the property,and send various instructions based on the determination. One or moreapplication programs used by the property inspection computing device151 may include computer executable instructions (e.g., image dataanalysis programs, property inspection type algorithms, and the like)for receiving image data and determining an inspection type andperforming other related functions as described herein.

The property inspection computing device 151 may operate in a networkedenvironment supporting connections to one or more remote computers, suchas various other terminals/devices (e.g., terminal 160, which mayinclude a display). The property inspection computing device 151, andthe related terminals/devices, may communicate with image capturedevices 120, mobile devices 130, external data sources 140, or othersources that may have data relevant to the property in question. Thus,the property inspection computing device 151 and its associatedterminals/devices may each include personal computers (e.g., laptop,desktop, or tablet computers) and/or servers (e.g., web servers,database servers) and may communicate with stand-alone image capturingdevices, or mobile communication devices (e.g., mobile phones, portablecomputing devices, and the like).

The devices illustrated in system 100 may communicate via networkconnections depicted such as a local area network (LAN) and a wide areanetwork (WAN), and a wireless telecommunications network, but may alsoinclude other networks. When used in a LAN networking environment, theproperty inspection computing device 151 may be connected to the LANthrough a network interface or adapter. When used in a WAN networkingenvironment, the device 151 may include a modem or other means forestablishing communications over the WAN, such as a network (e.g., theInternet). When used in a wireless telecommunications network, thedevice 151 may include one or more transceivers, digital signalprocessors, and additional circuitry and software for communicating withwireless computing devices (e.g., mobile phones, image capture devices)via one or more network devices (e.g., base transceiver stations) in thewireless network. It will be appreciated that the network connectionsshown and described above are illustrative and other means ofestablishing a communications link between the computers may be used.The existence of any of various network protocols such as TCP/IP,Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like, and of various wireless communicationtechnologies such as GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, and WiMAX, is presumed, and thevarious computing devices and property inspection system componentsdescribed herein may be configured to communicate using any of thesenetwork protocols or technologies.

The system 100 may include a property characteristic determinationserver 170 having a property characteristic determination computer 171and a database 172. In some aspects, the property inspection server 150may be configured to determine the type of inspection to recommend forthe property, whereas the property characteristic determination server170 may be configured to determine one or more characteristics of theproperty, such as an estimate of the value of the property. Inalternative aspects, one server may be configured to both determine thetype of inspection to recommend and the estimate of the value of theproperty. The property characteristic determination computer 171 mayhave one or more of the same computing components as the propertyinspection computer 151 described above.

The system 100 may also include an image capture device 120, containingsome or all of the hardware/software components of the computing device151 described above. The image capture device 120 may have one or morecameras 122. The image capture device 120 may comprise, for example, animaging device on the road (e.g., a standalone camera, a cameraintegrated in a traffic light, a security camera, a camera on a vehicle,and the like) or an imaging device in the air (e.g., a camera on adrone, a helicopter, an airplane, a satellite, or any other aerial orspace vehicle, whether manned or unmanned). The image capture device 120may also include a transceiver 124 for transmitting and receiving imagedata, and an image capture computer 126 used to process image data andto determine data to send to the property inspection server 150.

The system 100 may include one or more mobile computing device 130(e.g., mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tabletcomputers, laptop computers, smartwatches, etc.). The mobile computingdevice 130 may contain some or all of the hardware/software componentsof the computing device 151 described above. Software applicationsexecuting on the mobile device 130 may be configured to receive imagedata from one or more cameras or other imaging devices on the mobilecomputing device 130.

The data collected by the mobile device 130 may be stored and/oranalyzed within the mobile device 130. The processing components of themobile computing device 130 may be used to analyze image data andtransmit, via a wired or wireless transmission network, the image datato one or more external devices for storage or analysis, such as theproperty inspection server 150. The mobile device 130 may also have adisplay configured to display property inspection recommendations anduser interfaces sent by the property inspection server 150, as will bedescribed in further detail in the examples below. The workstation 160(or other user device) may also have a display configured to displayproperty inspection recommendations and user interfaces sent by theproperty inspection server 150.

The system 100 may comprise one or more external data sources 140. Eachexternal data source 140 may comprise one or more database storing imagedata (e.g., photographs, topographical images, thermal images, and thelike). The databases of the external data sources 140 may also storereal estate information, claims information, and other informationassociated with the property 110, surrounding properties, or similarproperties. Data from the external data sources 140 may be accessed via,for example, open application program interfaces (APIs), databases,software development kits (SDKs), and/or mobile device to mobile devicecommunication.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method of determining atype of property inspection and/or value of the property based oncaptured images according to one or more aspects of the disclosure. Thesteps illustrated in FIG. 2 may be performed by one or more of thedevices illustrated in FIG. 1 , such as the image capture device 120,the mobile device 130, or the property inspection server 150.

In step 205, an image capturing device, such as a camera, may be used tocapture images of a property. The image capturing device may be part ofa satellite, airplane, drone, car, and the like. For example, thecaptured images may comprise one or more photographs of the exterior ofthe property, such as a home. The images may be captured from the top ofthe property, such as by a satellite (e.g., satellite imagery), anairplane, a drone, etc. The images captured from the top of the propertymay show the roof of a home on the property, the front yard of theproperty, the back yard of the property, the roof of a garage on theproperty, a porch on the property, a deck on the property, and the like.In some aspects, the images captured from above the property may beconverted into topographical images showing features on the property,elevation of different areas of the property, and the like.

The images may be captured from the side of the property, such as fromthe street, alley, sidewalk, a home across the street, back yard, frontyard, or any other location accessible by, for example, a vehicle, arobot, a bicycle, a person, and the like. For example, an image of thefront of the home and/or front yard may be captured from the street infront of the home. Similarly, an image of the back of the home and/orback yard may be captured from the alley at the rear of the home.Various other images of the exterior of the home may similarly becaptured. As will be described in further detail below, the capturedimages of the property may be used by the computing device to evaluatethe exterior condition of the property (including a home, yards, garage,etc.). The computing device may use the evaluation of the condition torecommend a type of inspection for the property, such as a fullinspection, a partial inspection (e.g., a virtual inspection), or noinspection. The image capturing device(s) described herein may bedispatched by an insurance company determining the type of inspectionfor the property. The insurance company may also determine whether toinsure the property based on one or more inspections.

In step 210, a computing device may receive images of the property. Forexample, the computing device may receive the images captured in step205. The computing device may additionally or alternatively receiveimages available from external data sources (e.g., databases, websites,and the like), such as a government data source (e.g., real estate taxrecords, which may include images or other descriptions of theproperty), a real estate data source (e.g., a physical real estatecompany's database of property listings, or a web-based real estatecompany's database of property listings), a property valuation datasource (e.g., an online property valuation system), a web mapping datasource, or any other external data sources. Accordingly, the computingdevice may be used to view and evaluate the property electronically viathe images received by the computing device.

In step 215, the computing device may determine one or more heat mapimages for the property (or otherwise use heat map information). One ormore of the images captured in step 205 and/or received by the computingdevice in step 210 may include thermal images (e.g., heat map images,such as infrared images). The thermal images may be used to indicateheat leakage from a structure, such as a house. An infrared image mayalso be used to determine the age of the roof of the structure. The heatmap images may indicate the level of care (e.g., maintenance) of theproperty and be used to determine whether to recommend a fullinspection, partial inspection, or no inspection of the property. Forexample, a building losing a lot of heat (e.g., greater than a thresholdheat loss) may be indicative of poor maintenance of the building. Asanother example, an older roof (e.g., greater than a threshold roof age)may be indicative of a greater potential for damage or other problemswith the home.

In step 220, the computing device may receive data indicatingmaintenance and/or repair history for the property. The computing devicemay query external or internal data sources to determine whenmaintenance or repair work was performed on the property, the cost ofthe maintenance or repair work, and the extent of the maintenance orrepair work.

In step 225, the computing device may receive data indicating claimshistory for the property. The computing device may access internalinsurance claims information for the property, which may indicate whenclaims were submitted, how much was claimed, the frequency that claimswere submitted, whether the claims were approved, and other claimsinformation. The computing device may also access external data sourcesfor claim history information, such as if the property was previouslyinsured by a different insurance company.

In step 230, the computing device may receive data indicatingcharacteristics of the neighborhood of the property. The computingdevice may query external or internal data sources to determine, forexample, the crime rate of the neighborhood, the types of crimes thatoccurred (e.g., personal vs. property crime), the school district, thewalkability, the available public transportation options, and the like.Exemplary external data sources include government data sources, realestate data sources, property valuation data sources, and the like.

In step 235, the computing device may determine whether additional datais needed. If additional data is needed (step 235: Y), in step 240, thecomputing device may send a request for the additional data. Forexample, the computing device may determine that additional data wouldbe helpful for determining a level of care of the property. Aspreviously explained, an insurance company may dispatch the imagecapturing devices, such as a drone or a vehicle, used to capture imagesof the property (e.g., in step 205). The computing device may determinewhether the image capturing device is still at the location of theproperty or within a threshold distance from the property. If so, thecomputing device may send a request to the image capturing device tocapture additional images of the property (e.g., images at differentangles, if some images were not sharp, a zoomed in image of a particularfeature of the property, and the like). The image capturing device maytransmit the newly captured images to the computing device. Theadditional data requested in step 240 may comprise any of the data,whether internal or external, described above (e.g., heat map images,maintenance or repair history, claims history, neighborhoodcharacteristics, and the like). The computing device may return to step235 to determine whether additional data is needed.

In step 245, the computing device may determine a level of care ofstructures on the property, such as houses, garages, sheds, high rises,porches, decks, and other structures. The computing device may make thisdetermination based on any of the data received or otherwise determinedin steps 210, 215, 220, 225, and 230 described above. In some aspects,the computing device may compare the data to baseline data, the baselinedata indicating property that was properly taken care of. For example, acurrent image of a home may indicate discoloration on the side of thehome. The computing device may compare the current image to a baselineimage, and the baseline image might not include any discoloration. Thediscoloration may indicate water damage or that the home was notproperly cared for. The baseline image may comprise an image of the homein question in the past (e.g., 2 years ago, 10 years ago, and the like).

As another example, a current thermal image of the home may indicate acertain level of energy loss of the home. The computing device maycompare the level of energy loss of the home to a baseline level ofenergy loss. The baseline level of energy loss may be based on theenergy loss of similar types of homes (e.g., town house, row house,detached house, rambler, bungalow, and the like), energy loss of homesin the same neighborhood as the property in question, or energy loss ofthe home in question in the past (e.g., 5 years ago or 10 years ago). Ifthe energy loss of the home in question is higher than the baselinelevel, the computing device may determine that a full home inspectionmay be warranted. If, on the other hand, the energy loss of the home inquestion is lower than the baseline level, the computing device maydetermine that a virtual home inspection or no home inspection would beappropriate.

As yet another example, the computing device may compare the number ofclaims filed on the home in question versus the number of claims filedfor similar types of homes or other homes in the neighborhood.Similarly, the computing device may compare the average number of claimsfiled on homes in the same neighborhood as the home in question to theaverage number of claims filed on homes in other neighborhoods. If moreclaims are filed on the home in question (or for homes in theneighborhood), the computing device may determine that a greater levelof scrutiny of the home may be appropriate, such as via a full homeinspection. The computing device may similarly compare the maintenanceor repair history of the home to the maintenance or repair history ofother similar homes.

The computing device may determine a score indicative of the level ofcare of structures on the property. The score may be based on acomparison of baseline data (e.g., baseline images, baseline claims,etc.) to data for the property in question. As a brief example, thebaseline data may indicate that a model home has no discoloration, thatthe energy loss of the home is at a first (e.g., lowest) level, and thatthe number of claims filed (or hypothetically filed) on the model homeevery five years is 3 claims. The computing device may determine whethereach of these three factors is satisfied by the data (e.g., image dataor claim data) for the property in question. For example, image data forthe property in question may indicate that a structure on the propertyhas discoloration and that the energy loss of the structure is less thanthe energy loss of the baseline property. Claim data for the property inquestion may indicate that 2 claims were filed on the property inquestion in the last five years. Accordingly, the computing device maydetermine that the property in question satisfied two out of three ofthe factors related to the level of care of structures on the property.In some aspects, the computing device may apply a weight to each of thefactors considered for determining the level of care, such that one ormore factors are weighed more than one or more other factors.

In step 250, the computing device may determine a level of care offeatures on the property surrounding the structures (e.g., yards,garages, landscaping, sidewalks, and the like). The computing device maymake this determination based on any of the data received or otherwisedetermined in steps 210, 215, 220, and 230 described above. In someaspects, the computing device may compare the data to baseline data, andthe baseline data may be representative of a homeowner that took goodcare of the features on the property surrounding the structures.

As previously described, the baseline image may be a past image of theproperty (including the sidewalk or walkway), such as an image from 2years ago, 5 years ago, etc. Alternatively, the baseline image may be animage of property similar to the property in question, such asproperties in the same neighborhood (e.g., properties next door) orproperties of the same type as the property in question (e.g., townhouses, row house, etc.). For example, a baseline image may indicatethat the sidewalk or walkway is clear of debris, does not havediscoloration, is not overgrown with plants, and/or is painted. Thecomputing device may compare a current image of the property to thebaseline image and use image processing and feature recognition todetermine whether the current image of the property indicates that thesidewalk or walkway is clear of debris, does not have discoloration, isnot overgrown with plants, and/or is painted.

As another example, the computing device may compare an image of theyard of the property in question (e.g., backyard or front yard) to abaseline image of the yard. The baseline image of the yard may indicatethat the yard is clean (e.g., is not being used to excessively storeitems, such as furniture, trash, or other debris). The baseline imagemay also identify a yard that has grass cut and bushes or other plantsproperty trimmed. The baseline image may also identify any favorablelandscaping features indicative of a good level of care of the property.The computing device may compare a current image of the property to thebaseline image and use image processing and feature recognition todetermine whether the current image of the property indicates that theyard is in good care relative to the baseline image of an ideal yard.

The computing device may determine a score indicative of the level ofcare of features on the property surrounding the structures. The scoremay be based on a comparison of baseline data (e.g., baseline images,etc.) to data for the property in question. As a brief example, thebaseline data may indicate that a walkway of the property is clear ofdebris, the grass is cut to a certain length, and that there is no plantgrowth (e.g., vines) on a fence of the property. The computing devicemay determine whether each of these three factors is satisfied by thedata (e.g., image data) for the property in question. For example, imagedata for the property in question may indicate that the walkway of theproperty has debris, the length of the grass is greater than the lengthof the grass in the baseline model, and that there are no vines on afence of the property. Accordingly, the computing device may determinethat the property in question satisfies one out of three of the factorsrelated to the level of care of features on the property surrounding thestructures. In some aspects, the computing device may apply a weight toeach of the factors considered for determining the level of care, suchthat one or more factors are weighed more than one or more otherfactors.

In step 255, the computing device may determine a score for theproperty, and the score may indicate an overall level of care of theproperty. As will be described in further detail below, the computingdevice may use the score to determine the type of inspection torecommend for the property and/or whether to insure the property. Thecomputing device may determine the score based on the level of care ofthe structures on the property (e.g., as determined in step 245) and/orthe level of care of the features on the property (e.g., as determinedin step 250). For example, the computing device may combine each of thescores indicative of the level of care of structures and the level ofcare of the features surrounding the structures. The computing devicemay also apply a weight to each of these scores to, for example, placegreater emphasis on the level of care of structures or greater emphasison the level of care of the features surrounding the structures.

In some aspects, the computing device may determine the score based onindividual factors, in addition to or as an alternative to, the scoresfor the level of care of the structures on the property and the level ofcare of the features surrounding the structures. The computing devicemay consider one or more factors related to the level of care of thebuildings (e.g., whether the building has discoloration, the energy lossof the building, the number of claims filed on the building, etc.)and/or one or more factors related to the level of care of the featuressurrounding the buildings (e.g., whether a walkway of the property isclear of debris, whether the grass is cut to less than a certain length,whether there is any plant growth on a fence of the property, etc.). Aspreviously described, the computing device may apply a weight to each ofthe factors considered for determining the property score.

In step 260, the computing device may determine whether to determine thevalue of the property, which may be used to determine the type ofinspection to recommend for the property. The level of care of theproperty (e.g., indicated by one or more of the scores determined insteps 245, 250, and 255) may be combined with the value of the propertyto determine the type of inspection to recommend for the property. Forexample, the computing device may more readily recommend a fullinspection for a property having a higher value than a property having alower value. In some aspects, the computing device may use the capturedimages or other images of the property to estimate its value. Thecomputing device may also determine an estimate of the property valuebased on captured images, and the estimated value may be used forpurposes other than recommending a type of inspection. If the computingdevice determines to estimate the value of the property (step 260: Y),the computing device may proceed to perform one or more of the stepsillustrated in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating another example method ofdetermining a type of property inspection and/or property value based oncaptured images according to one or more aspects of the disclosure. Thesteps illustrated in FIG. 3 may be performed by one or more of thedevices illustrated in FIG. 1 , such as the property characteristicdetermination server 170.

In step 305, the computing device may determine whether an existingproperty value is available. Estimates of the property value may beavailable from an internal data source, such as if a previous estimateof the value of the property was made for insurance coverage. Estimatesmay also be available from external data sources, such as governmentreal estate tax records, a web-based real estate company's database ofproperty listings, an online property valuation system, or any otherexternal data source. If an existing property value is available (step305: Y), the computing device may proceed to step 325 and query internaldata sources or send a request to external data sources for the propertyvalue. If an existing property value is not available or the computingdevice otherwise determines to generate an estimate based on images ofthe property (step 305: N), the computing device may proceed to step310.

In step 310, the computing device may determine the area of the roof ofa structure (e.g., a dwelling or other building) on the property basedon captured images of the property. As previously described, thecomputing device may receive images taken from the top of the property,such as satellite images, drone images, airplane images, and the like.The computing device may determine the area (e.g., dimensions) of theroof based on the captured image. For example, the image data maycomprise range data (e.g., from a range finder or scanner of the imagecapturing device), such as laser data, and the computing device may usethe range data to determine the dimensions of the roof Additionally oralternatively, the computing device may compare the dimensions of theroof to a known dimension (or other baseline feature) in the capturedimage. For example, the computing device may have data indicating thedimensions of the roof of a neighboring building, and may determine thearea of the building in question by comparing its size relative to thesize of the roof of the neighboring building. The building in questionand the neighboring building may be in the same captured image ordifferent captured images.

In step 315, the computing device may determine the areas of otherexternal surfaces of the structure, such as each of the outside walls(e.g., front wall, back wall, and each of one or more side walls). Aspreviously described, the computing device may receive images taken fromthe side of the property, such as images captured from a vehicle drivingon the street, drone images, images captured by a robot at the property,images captured by a person, and the like. As previously explained, thecomputing device may determine the dimensions of the outside walls usingdata from a range finder and/or by comparing the size of the outsidewall to the size of neighboring walls (which may be known).

In some aspects, the computing device may determine the location ofeaves of the home to identify boundaries of the roof and/or boundariesof other external surfaces. For example, the computing device may useimage recognition processing to identify the eaves. The boundaries maybe used to determine the area described above with respect to step 310and 315. The computing device might not use information for someexternal surfaces to determine their areas. For example, for arectangular-shaped building, the computing device may use an image ofthe roof, an image of the back wall of the building, and an image of thefront wall of the building to determine the length of the side walls ofthe building, which might be more difficult to photograph.

In step 320, the computing device may calculate or otherwise determinesections of the structure (e.g., internal sections, such as levels orrooms) based on the areas of the external surfaces, such as the roof.For example, the computing device may determine the square footage ofeach level of the structure based on the area of the roof (e.g., isequal to the calculated area of the roof plus or minus an adjustmentamount). The computing device may determine the number of levels of thestructure based on the images of the outside walls. For example, thecomputing device may determine that the structure has a certain numberof levels (e.g., 2) if the height of the structure, from an externalimage of the structure, is between a first threshold height (e.g., 20feet) and a second threshold height (e.g., 28 feet). As another example,the computing device may determine that the structure has 3 levels ifthe height of the structure is between 28 feet and 42 feet. Variousother thresholds may be used to determine the number of levels of thestructure. The computing device may additionally or alternatively useimage recognition to identify windows on an image of the side of thestructure, and count the number of windows identified to determine thenumber of levels. In some aspects, the computing device may retrievedata identifying the number of levels from external sources, such asweb-based real estate listings, tax records databases, and the like. Thesquare footage calculation may include or exclude some enclosedstructures, such as garages and sheds.

In step 325, the computing device may determine a value of the property(e.g., a replacement cost of the property). As described with referenceto step 305, the computing device may determine the value of theproperty based on internal or external data sources if the data isavailable. If not, the computing device may determine an estimate of thevalue of the property based on the areas and sections of the buildingdetermined in steps 310, 315, and/or 320. The computing device maydetermine the value of the property based on the square footage, whichmay be determined from images as described above. For example, theneighborhood that the property in question is located in or the type ofthe property in question may have an associated price per area (e.g.,$/sq. ft.). The computing device may multiply the price per area withthe square footage of the building to determine the value of theproperty in step 325.

In step 330, the computing device may update the score, such as thescore determined in step 255, for the property based on the determinedvalue of the property. The score may be updated such that the computingdevice is more likely to generate a recommendation for a full inspectionfor higher value properties (e.g., having values greater than athreshold). Similarly, the score may be updated such that the computingdevice is more likely to generate a recommendation for a partial (e.g.,virtual) inspection or no inspection for lower value properties (e.g.,having values lower than a threshold). The computing device may proceedto step 265, as illustrated in FIG. 2 .

In step 265, the computing device may determine a recommendation for thetype of inspection to perform for the property. The recommendation maybe based on one or more of the scores described above with respect tosteps 245, 250, 255 and 330 and/or based on the value of the propertydetermined in step 325. In other words, the recommendation may be basedon a determination of whether the homeowner has taken good care of thehome and/or based on the value of the property, which may in turn bedetermined based on one or more images or other data for the property.The recommendation may comprise, for example, a recommendation for afull inspection (e.g., an outdoor and an indoor inspection), a partialinspection (e.g., a virtual inspection, a curbside inspection, anoutdoor inspection, an inspection based on publicly available data ordata already available to the insurer, and the like), or no inspection.Based on the inspection, the computing device may determine whether toprovide insurance coverage for the property and/or generate a quote forinsuring the property.

In step 270, the computing device may generate one or more userinterface indicating the recommendation for the type of inspection toperform. For example, the user interface(s) may indicate the determinedrecommendation (e.g., partial inspection, full inspection, noinspection, etc.).

In step 275, the computing device may send the recommendation and/or theuser interface indicating the recommendation for display on a displaydevice. For example, the user interface having the recommendation may bedisplayed on a display of a user device, such as a workstation, a mobilephone, a tablet, a laptop, or any other user device having a display.The user of the user device may use the displayed recommendation todetermine the type of inspection to perform, whether to insure theproperty, and/or the insurance premium (e.g., by calculating areplacement cost for the property, which may affect the insurancepremium of the property).

In some aspects, an automated image capturing device (e.g., a drone, arobot, and the like) may be at the location of the property, and mayhave captured the initial images of the property (e.g., as describedwith reference to step 205). A location of the image capturing devicemay be controlled by the computing device in order to, in somearrangements, facilitate an inspection or portion of an inspection. Forinstance, before the image capturing device is instructed to leave thelocation of the property, the computing device may determine therecommendation for the type of inspection for the property. In step 275,the computing device may send the recommendation to the image capturingdevice before the image capturing device leaves the location of theproperty and may instruct the image capturing device to remain at thelocation of the property. The image capturing device may capture one ormore additional images of the property and send the additional images tothe computing device. After receiving one or more additional images fromthe image capturing device, the computing device may determine whetherto send a request to the image capturing device to capture more imagesof the property. If not, the computing device may send an instruction tothe image capturing device to leave the location of the property (e.g.,return to a home base, go to another property location, etc.). Thecomputing device may determine the location of the image capturingdevice using, for example, GPS, cellular network, or other wirelesssensors of the image capturing device.

If, for example, the computing device transmits a recommendation for apartial inspection (e.g., a virtual inspection, or a curbsideinstruction), the image capturing device may capture one or moreadditional images of the property as part of the partial inspection. Theimage capturing device may similarly capture additional images as partof a full inspection. However, additional inspections of the interior ofbuildings on the property may also be performed. If the image capturingdevice is instructed not to perform an inspection, the image capturingdevice may leave the location of the property.

In some aspects, a user having a user device (e.g., a camera, asmartphone, a tablet, etc.) may be at the location of the property, andmay have captured the initial images of the property with the userdevice or another image capturing device (e.g., as described withreference to step 205). Before the user leaves the location of theproperty, the computing device may determine the recommendation for thetype of inspection for the property. In step 275, the computing devicemay send the recommendation (and/or the generated user interface) to theuser device before the user leaves the location of the property. Thecomputing device may determine the location of the user device using,for example, GPS, cellular network, or other wireless sensors of theuser device.

The recommendation received from the computing device may be displayedon a display of the user device. The user may capture one or moreadditional images of the property as part of a partial inspection or afull inspection. For a full inspection, the user may also be instructed,via the user device, to inspect the interior of building(s) on theproperty, such as by performing a physical inspection and/or capturingimages of the interior of the building(s).

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a computing device 401 in aproperty inspection and property value determination system 400 that maybe used according to one or more illustrative embodiments of thedisclosure. The computing device 401 may have a processor 403 forcontrolling overall operation of the computing device 401 and itsassociated components, including RAM 405, ROM 407, input/output module409, and memory unit 415. The computing device 401, along with one ormore additional devices (e.g., terminals 441, 451) may correspond to anyof multiple systems or devices, such as property inspection and propertyvalue determination devices or systems, configured as described hereinfor receiving data from image capturing devices, mobile devices, andexternal data sources, and/or using the data to determine a type ofproperty inspection to recommend and the value of the property.

Input/Output (I/O) module 409 may include a microphone, keypad, touchscreen, and/or stylus through which a user of the computing device 401may provide input, and may also include one or more of a speaker forproviding audio input/output and a video display device for providingtextual, audiovisual and/or graphical output. Software may be storedwithin memory unit 415 and/or other storage to provide instructions toprocessor 403 for enabling device 401 to perform various functions. Forexample, memory unit 415 may store software used by the device 401, suchas an operating system 417, application programs 419, and an associatedinternal database 421. The memory unit 415 includes one or more ofvolatile and/or non-volatile computer memory to storecomputer-executable instructions, data, and/or other information.Processor 403 and its associated components may allow the computingdevice 401 to execute a series of computer-readable instructions toreceive data from image capturing devices, mobile devices, and externaldata sources, and/or using the data to determine a type of propertyinspection to recommend and the value of the property.

The computing device 401 may operate in a networked environment 400supporting connections to one or more remote computers, such asterminals/devices 441 and 451. The computing device 401, and relatedterminals/devices 441 and 451, may include devices installed in ground,air, or space vehicles or mobile devices that are configured to receiveand process image and external data. Thus, the computing device 401 andterminals/devices 441 and 451 may each include personal computers (e.g.,laptop, desktop, or tablet computers), servers (e.g., web servers,database servers), vehicle-based devices (e.g., on-board vehiclecomputers, short-range vehicle communication systems, sensors andtelematics devices), or mobile communication devices (e.g., mobilephones, portable computing devices, and the like), and may include someor all of the elements described above with respect to the computingdevice 401. The network connections depicted in FIG. 4 include a localarea network (LAN) 425 and a wide area network (WAN) 429, and a wirelesstelecommunications network 433, but may also include other networks.When used in a LAN networking environment, the computing device 401 maybe connected to the LAN 425 through a network interface or adapter 423.When used in a WAN networking environment, the device 401 may include amodem 427 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN429, such as network 431 (e.g., the Internet). When used in a wirelesstelecommunications network 433, the device 401 may include one or moretransceivers, digital signal processors, and additional circuitry andsoftware for communicating with wireless computing devices 441 (e.g.,mobile phones, short-range vehicle communication systems, vehiclesensing and telematics devices) via one or more network devices 435(e.g., base transceiver stations) in the wireless network 433.

It will be appreciated that the network connections shown areillustrative and other means of establishing a communications linkbetween the computers may be used. The existence of any of variousnetwork protocols such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like, andof various wireless communication technologies such as GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi,and WiMAX, is presumed, and the various computing devices and propertyinspection and value system components described herein may beconfigured to communicate using any of these network protocols ortechnologies.

Additionally, one or more application programs 419 used by the computingdevice 401 may include computer executable instructions (e.g., propertyinspection type or property value determination algorithms, and thelike) for receiving data from image capturing devices, mobile devices,and external data sources, and/or using the data to determine a type ofproperty inspection to recommend and the value of the property.

While the aspects described herein have been discussed with respect tospecific examples including various modes of carrying out aspects of thedisclosure, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there arenumerous variations and permutations of the above described systems andtechniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a first computing deviceconfigured to capture images; and a second computing device comprising:a communication interface; a processor; and memory storingcomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor,cause the processor of the second computing device to: receive, by thesecond computing device via the communication interface from the firstcomputing device, a first plurality of images of a first property and asecond plurality of images of a second property, wherein the firstplurality of images indicates a first level of energy loss of the firstproperty, and the second plurality of images indicates a second level ofenergy loss of the second property; compare the first plurality ofimages of the first property with images of one or more first propertystructures sharing at least one characteristic with the first propertyto determine a first level of care of the first property; compare thesecond plurality of images of the second property with images of one ormore second property structures sharing at least one characteristic withthe second property to determine a second level of care of the secondproperty; based on at least the determined first level of care of thefirst property, and the determined second level of care of the secondproperty, determine a recommendation comprising: determining whether torecommend a full inspection for the first property, and determiningwhether to recommend a partial inspection for the second property; andprovide the recommendation for display on a display.